Tip your Stetson to Canada’s ‘Cowboy Country’, kick-starting your adventure through the inimitable Rockies in Calgary. This evening, join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner.
Kick off your first full day with a Be My Guest Experience meeting Painted Warrior Tracey Klettl who’ll share her love for horses, archery, being outdoors and connecting with nature through traditional skills learned through her indigenous cultures with you. Join Tracey for a gathering walk learning about plants used for foraging and that add an earthy and spicy flavor to your shared lunch. Next, journey toward Waterton Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tucked into the southwestern corner of Alberta, this national park boasts majestic Rocky Mountains and lakes carved out of rock by ancient glaciers. Discover its blend of unusual geology, mild climate, rare wildflowers and abundant wildlife that has remained unchanged for centuries.
The Big Skies of Montana beckon this morning as you cross the international border and travel along the shore of Lower St. Mary Lake and enter Glacier National Park, touted as the Crown of the Continent. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with Blackfeet and Cherokee member Mariah Gladstone as she welcomes you onto traditional Blackfeet territory for storytelling and history. After your visit, continue in a restored 1930s vintage touring red “jammer” up into the cirques of the St. Mary Valley along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and stop at the Continental Divide continuing over Logan Pass (seasonal).
Today, we leave Montana. Travel along the Banff-Windermere Highway, one of the most scenic drives in British Columbia. Then, enter Kootenay National Park and drive through Sinclair Canyon. Make the climb up to Vermilion Pass at the Continental Divide, reaching an elevation of 1,680 m (5,510 ft) and enter Alberta and Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest National Park. Descending into the Bow River Valley, arrive in Banff where you check in at your Stays with Stories, the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs, the 'Castle in the Rockies'.
Your day begins with a Dive Into Culture excursion experiencing the thrill and excitement of being a real Canadian hockey player. Learn the secrets and superstitions as a professional coach walks you through a day in the life of a player. Go inside the players' dressing room where you have the opportunity to try on full hockey gear before grabbing your stick and heading onto the ice. Then choose to take this time to relax or join one of our optional experiences. Choose to view the alpine forest from above during an optional helicopter ride or optional gondola ride. Later, spend the afternoon exploring the rugged beauty of Banff, from its postcard viewpoint of Surprise Corner to Bow Falls before dinner at a local restaurant.
Take the Icefields Parkway, one of the most scenic drives in North America through Canada's breath-taking glaciers, sweeping valleys, cascading waterfalls and majestic mountain ranges along Continental Divide. Stop at glacier fed Peyto Lake, named for pioneer, mountain guide and early park warden Bill Peyto. Continue your adventure with a ride onto the Athabasca Glacier in an all-terrain Ice Explorer—a massive vehicle specially designed for glacier travel. On this thrilling trip, an experienced driver-guide will share fascinating information about glaciers and their impact on our environment. Take a sip of ice-cold glacier water and admire the surrounding snow-capped panorama before continuing your journey and heading to Jasper.
Immerse yourself in natural beauty on an optional cruise of Maligne Lake (seasonal), the largest glacially fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Cruising these brilliant blue waters, discover world-famous Spirit Island, the crown jewel of Jasper National Park and one of the most photographed locations in the Rockies, accessible only by boat. Head back into Jasper where the rest of the day is free to relax or join a scenic float trip down the Athabasca River on a route that was once used by fur traders.
Head to the glacier-fed waters of Lake Louise where you can join your Travel Director for a walk along the lakeshore with a photo-worthy setting of rugged mountain backdrop and turquoise waters or set out exploring on your own. Consider joining an Optional Experience this afternoon to visit nearby Moraine Lake on a gentle stroll with your Travel Director. Cap off your trip with a dinner reminiscing about the highlights of your trip with your fellow travelers.
This morning make your way to Calgary International Airport where you will be dropped off by 11:30am or choose to extend your stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Calgary.
